Two major developments could have Beulah Cenex looking at the option of relocation: the removal of an approach off N.D. Highway 49, and a new agronomy center that would need rezoning approval to be built in town.

Years ago Mercer County experienced a wave of new development that had the coal industry and residents working to try to find compromises that would benefit everyone. Now, with the oil patch creeping closer on the horizon, those experiences from the past could help usher in safer oil development likely in the county’s future.

Large-scale development and an influx of workers has affected Dunn County for a number of years, forcing officials to react to new challenges that come up when the oil patch sets in. As the oil patch slowly creeps east into eastern Dunn County and potentially crossing into Mercer County in the future, some officials spoke about lessons learned concerning oil patch development.